Washing-machine.



PATENTBD AUG. 2, 1904.

W. D. WHITNEY'.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 11110.17, 190s.

3 8HBBTS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

No. 766,477. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. W. D. WHITNEY.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED DEO.17, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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xCk'ligzsses y L j y ""l' I) egim' PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904 W. D. WHITNEY.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED 1120.17. 190s.

No MoDEL. a SHEETS-SHEET a.

E l jzglo hmmmWMnr/zm'/ f' M L Www- ?.--mwg l rvs f A *1' M Ivvm'- n YM dwg@ y Axim-gays Patented August 2, 1904.'

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE..

VILLIE D. VHITNEY, OF HOLLEY, NElV YORK.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,477, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed December 17, 1903. Serial No. 185,572. (No model.) l

To all wiz/0m t hefty concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIE D. VHITNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing' at Holley, in the county of Orleans and State of New York, have invented a new and useful lVashing-Machine, of which the following' is a specitica-tion.

This invention relates to certain improvements in washing-machines, and has for its principal object to provide a novel form of machine in which the clothes are subjected to a combined rubbing' and squeezing action with a view of removing' the dirt in a thorough and expeditious manner.

A further object of the invention is to construct a washing-machine in which provision is made for adjusting' the parts to accommodate varying quantities of clothes.

A further object of the invention to to provide a novel form of washing' machine in which a tub or tank is so mounted that it may be readily oscillated in a horizontal path either by hand or power and at the same time moved vertically to effect alternate compression and release of the clothing' under treatment.

fr ith these and other objects in view, as will hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists in the novel construction and a1'- rangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying' drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being' understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departingl from the spirit or sacrih'cing any of the advantages of the invention.

ln the accompanying' drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a washing-machine constructed in accordance with the invention, a portion of the tub or clothes-container being' broken away in order to more clearly illustrate the construction. Fig'. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the tub proper with the upper rubbing member removed. Fig. et is a plan view of the base and cam-track of the machine, the tub being' removed. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating' a slight modification of the invention. Fig'.

6 is a similar view illustrating a further modia still further Fig'. 8 is a seca still further ication. Fig'. 7 illustrates modification of the invention. tional elevation illustrating' modification of the invention.

Similar' numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The tub 1 is supported on a base-frame cornprising' a metallic ring 2, having' a central hub member 3, that is connected to the ring' by a plurality of radially-disposed arms 4, of which there may be any desired number. Each of the arms a is provided with a socket to receive the upper reduced end of a removable supportingleg 6, so as to permit ready removal and renewal in case of injury. The upper .face of the frame 2 is provided with a plurality of cam-faces T, three being illustrated in the present instance-and these being' arranged to form alternate projections and depressions, so that when the tub is oscillated in a horizontal plane it will bc reciprocated in a vertical line. At the edge of the ring is a socket member 8, preferably cast integral with the ring' and serving' to receive an arm 9, which may be bolted or otherwise rig'- idly secured within the socket. The arm 9 is bent upward and terminates in a socket member l() for the reception of one arm of a yoke 1Q, that supports the adjustable member 13 of the machine, and said arm may bc rigidly locked in position by means of a Screw 14: when the position of the member 13 has been adjusted in accordance with the quantity of clothing' in the tub.

The bottom of the tub is provided with a pendent spindle or pin 15, fitting through a central opening' formed in the hub member 3, and from the bottom of the tub depend hangers 16, having' bearings for the reception of the end spindles of g'rooved rollers 17, that run on the cam-track 7.

On the upper surface of the tub-bottom are arranged any desired number of radially-disposed rubbingribs 18, which may be of any ordinary construction, or the ribs may be disposed in any manner common to 'washing'- machines of this general type.

The rubbing' member 13 is in the form of a disk of a diameter slightly less than the in- IOO ternal diameter of the tub and also provided with'radiating rubbing-ribs 19, and this disk is further provided with a large numberof perforations 20, through Ywhich the surplus water may pass when the clothes are squeezed.

In the operation of the device as thus farator then grasps the edge of the tub, which may be Aprovided with a suitable handle or handles for the purpose and oscillates the same in a horizontal plane. This causes the movable rubbing-ribs of the tub and the stationary ribs of the disk 13 to operate on the clothing and rub the 'dirt therefrom. During the oscillatory movement the rollers 16, traveling on the cam-tracks, are moved in a vertical planeand carry with them the tub and the clothing against the stationary perforated disk 13. On upward movement of the tub the clothes are squeezed to an extent proportionate to the adjustment of the disk 13, and most of the water is forced from the clothing up through the perforations in the disk. When the tub descends, the water is sucked in through the perforations and again saturates the clothes, and as this movement is kept up with alternate squeezing and releasing of the clothes the dirt loosened bythe action of the rubbing-ribs will be gradually taken up by the water and leave the clothes -in condition for any further subsequent treatment which may be necessary.

In some cases, especially Where large quantities of clothes are to be washed, the strain on the operator may be relieved by employing the construction shown in Fig. 5. The pendent spindle 15 of the `tub serves as a guide for a spider 21, carrying a plurality of rollers 16', that run on the cam-track 7a. The bottom of the tub is provided with a circular trackway 23, which rests directly on the rollers, so that when the tub is oscillated the movement will be slower, owing to interposition of the rolling members between the tw stationary tracks 7 and 23.

vThe construction may be further modiied, as shown in Fig. 6, by providing the tracks 23 with slots 24 for the reception of antifriction-balls 25 of comparatively large diameter, the diameter of these being greater than the distance between the highest and lowest points of the cam, and said balls enter a grooved camtrack 7b, carried by the frame. 1

In all of the constructions named the clothes receive both a rubbing and asqueezing effect, so that cleansing may be both thoroughly and rapidly accomplished, while the adjustability of the stationary rubbing member 13 permits the operator to wash lany desired quantity of clothes within ordinary limits at one operation.

In order to add to the value of the machine, the vertically-disposed arm 10 is provided with a laterally-extending arm or bracket 26 for the support of a wringer, so that the clothing may be passed directlyfrom one tub to another without the necessity of handling or the removal of the wet clothes.

In some cases the structure may be modiiied by reversing the position of the cam, as shown in Fig. 7. In this case the cam-track 7 is arranged on the bottom of the tub, and the rollers 17 are carried by the base of vthe machine. In this case the operation is the same as that previously described. v

It is obvious that the adjustable rubbing member 13 may be supported in a number of different ways. In Fig. 8 I have illustrated a construction in which the central hub member 3 is provided with a vertical bar or standard 30, that extends up through the center of the tub. The central portion of the bottom` of the tub is provided with avertical tube 31, that fits over the bar 30 and is a height about equal to the depth of the tub, so that there will be no danger of leakage of water down the'tube. Fitting over the exterior of the rod and tube is a second tube 32, that carries the rubbing member 13, and this second tube has a threaded opening for the reception of a clamping-screw 33, by means of which the adjustable rubbing member 13 may be firmly locked in adjusted position. In this case the arrangement, While somewhat modified, will result in practically the same operation a that already described.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. In a washing-machine, a pair of rubbing members, one of which constitutes a clothesreceiver, one of said members being mounted for oscillatory movement with respect to the other, and means for moving one of said members toward and from the other to thereby alternately squeeze and release the clothing during the rubbing operation.

2. In a washing-machine, a pair of rubbing members, one of which is perforated, and the other of which constitutes a receiver for the clothing, both of said members being disposed horizontally and in parallel relation, one of said members being mounted for oscillatory movement with respect to the other, and means for moving one of said members toward and from the other to thereby alternately squeeze and release the clothing during the rubbing operation.

3. In a washing-machine, a stationary perforated member, a tub having a rubbing-surface, said tub being movable in a horizontal plane and being further movable vertically in the direction of the stationary member to alternately press and release the clothes.

IOO

4. In a Washing-machine, an oscillatory tub, cams for eii'ecting vertical movement of the same during its oscillatory movement, and a stationary disk arranged Within the tub and provided with perforations.

5. In a washing-machine, a tub mounted for oscillatory movement in a horizontal plane and provided with a rubbing-surface, means for vertically reciprocating the tub during its horizontal movement, and an adjustable disk disposed within the tub and also provided with rubbing-surfaces.

6. In a washing-machine, a tub mounted for oscillatory movement in a horizontal plane, cams on which the tub is mounted and serving to effect vertical play thereof, and a disk disposed within the tu b and provided with perforations.

'7. ln a washing-machine, a tub mounted for oscillatory movement in a horizontal plane, cams forming a support for the tub and adapted to reciprocate the same in a vertical plane, said tub having a rubbing-surface, a disk disposed within the tuk` and having a rubbing surface, said disk having also a plurality of perforations, and means for adjustably supporting said disk.

8. In a washing-machine, a tub mounted for oscillatory movement in a horizontal plane, a base or support having a cani-track, tub-supporting rollers disposed on the track, and a stationary disk member disposed Within saidtub and provided with a rubbing-surface.

9. ln combination, a base having a camtrack, a tub, rollers disposed between the tub and the track, and a stationary member coacting with the tub for operation on the clothes.

l0. In combination, a base having a camtrack, a tub mounted for oscillatory movement in a horizontal plane, rollers disposed between the tub and the track, a standard carried by the base, a perforated disk disposed Within the tub, a yoke-like bar carrying said disk, and means for adjustably connecting the bar to the standard.

11. In a washing-machine, the combination with a base having leg-receiving sockets, legs extending Within said sockets, a cam-track forming a part of the base, a tub mounted for oscillatory movement in a horizontal plane, rollers carried by the tub, and bearing on the cam-track, a standard secured to the base and provided with a socket member, a disk disposed within the tub and provided with perforations, rubbing-surfaces on the disk, and the bottom of the tub, a yoke-like arm secured to the disk' and adapted to the socket portion of the standard, and means for locking said arnli in adjusted position, substantially as specifier In testimony that I claim the Jforegoing as my own I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

IVILLIE D. IVHITNEY.

Witnesses:

MICHAEL KENNEDY, A. O. SMITH. 

